Aerator nozzles, faucets, kitchen aerators, spray heads, shower heads, and the like for controlling the fluid flow of water are well known in the art. Aerator faucets, for example, such as those for use in the kitchen, are generally complicated mechanical devices having numerous parts including water discharge heads that can be rotated to regulate the discharge spray of water from the discharge spray head. Since these types of rotating spray heads can easily break down in view of the numerous internal moving component parts therein, kitchen aerators have been improved upon. Thus, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,248 (“the '248 Patent”), assigned to the assignee of the present application, there has been provided a kitchen aerator which includes a flow compensator for increasing the flow rate of water at low pressures and which utilizes a flip lever to regulate the water flow rate. The pressure compensator is thus capable of regulating the flow rate or maintaining the flow rate regardless of pressure variations in the stream of water. It can also ensure that the flow rate does not exceed the maximum rated flow rate for the particular device in question.
The disclosure of the '248 Patent is therefore incorporated herein by reference thereto in its entirety. In FIGS. 1 and 2 hereof, which correspond to FIGS. 3 and 3a of the '248 Patent, the kitchen aerator or faucet aerator 10 is shown in detail. These figures show this prior art device, which includes a flow compensator assembly 30, including flow compensator member 32, as well as a ball joint 36 and a pin 40 with a water flow opening 41 which is adjusted by flip lever 46. The device shown in the '248 Patent also includes a spray subassembly 60 connected to the flow compensator subassembly 30. This spray subassembly includes a chrome spray adjusting ring 80 and a rubber spray adjusting ring 82 which are used to produce either a needle spray pattern or a bubble stream (full) spray pattern by lateral movement thereof. The water out seat member 84 thereof includes water openings 85 to produce the desired spray patterns.
The search, however, has continued to improve upon these aerators and to provide superior products in terms of the materials used and the costs for producing same.